


littler things

by kerberos_calling



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Link and Zelda are best friends forever, Short, Zelda adjusting to her new life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-29 14:57:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19402660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kerberos_calling/pseuds/kerberos_calling
Summary: Zelda has had a long, lonely time away from her kingdom. Readjusting to Hyrule now will probably take a while. She'll try to appreciate littler things, like the first rain she's seen after a hundred years. Short drabble fic.





	littler things

The air was cold, and the dark gray clouds stretching overhead threatened a thunderstorm. Zelda had almost forgotten how a cold breeze whipped through her hair, how rain felt on her shoulders. She closed her eyes and leaned into the biting wind, remembering how it felt to be alive, for the first time in a hundred years.

"Ready?" Link's voice cut through Zelda's thoughts, bringing her back to the grassy hill above Kakariko. Link had come down from the great fairy fountain, having finished fixing up his armor, and was walking towards her. Zelda turned to see him, saw his usual tired smile, and smiled back. It had been a long few weeks.

Once he was closer, he began to sign to her. 'We have to leave soon, to get home before dark.'

"Ready my horse, please," Zelda said, her eyes catching the last peaking rays of sunlight before the dark stormclouds covered the sky. "I'll say goodnight to Impa, then we can be on our way."

Link nodded dutifully before trotting down the hill and towards the the gateway of the village. Zelda took a deep breath, and then headed to Impa's house.

The grass and gravel crunched softly under her boots as she crossed the village, and mingled with the other familir sounds of Kakariko: fires crackling, cuccos squawking, children shrieking in joy and their mothers calling after them. Zelda's memories of her childhood summers spent in Impa's hometown felt so far away they almost seemed like dreams, half-forgotten and hazy.

Cado and Dorian, both standing watch by the stairs, gave Zelda a stoic nod as they let her pass, and Zelda returned the gesture as she started up the long flight of stairs. Once she reached the top, she knocked gently on the centuries-old wooden door before creaking it open.

"Impa?" Zelda asked timidly.

Impa beamed when she saw Zelda's head poke out between the double doors. "Zelda, dear! How good to see you again!" She called from her stack of pillows.

Zelda stepped into the house, and walked towards her old caretaker. "It's good to see you, too. How have you been?"  
Impa chuckled. "As well as I can be." Her expression took a more serious edge. "How have you been adjusting?"

"As well as I can be," Zelda replied, kneeling in front of Impa. She meant it as a light-hearted joke, but it didn't seem to land. She looked down at her hands in her lap, and quietly cleared her throat before continuing, "I've been alright. Link has been a great help, but..."

"But things are different now." Impa said, her voice soft and sad. Her lilting tone brought Zelda back to the summers after her mother had died; warm afternoons spent running in the tall grass around Kakariko, chilly mornings spent huddled by the fire while Impa cooked. Once, they had visited Deya Village, and stayed overnight with one of Impa's close friends. But there were only ruins there now.

"Things are very different now," Zelda replied as she looked up at Impa, and her shoulders, usually held proudly back, slumped. "Villages I visited as a child are ruins now, the castle I grew up in is demolished, and I have to be a ruler my people can look up to." Absentmindedly, she gently shook her head. "I have already failed Hyrule once, I cannot do it again."

"You aren't the same girl that entered that castle," Impa said, her serious tone back again. "You have proven your bravery, willpower, and resolve by defeating Calamity Ganon." Zelda saw her shoulders fall as well, mirroring her own. "You have been through more than most princesses who have faced Ganon, and have survived, still shining."

Zelda's bottom lip trembled, and she jumped up from the wood floor and flung her arms around Impa, holding her in a tight embrace. Impa didn't hesitate hugging Zelda back, wanting to hold and comfort her just like she did all those years ago, when Zelda was young and the days stretched out before them, filled with harmless adventure and warm golden light.

"Thank you, Impa," Zelda said quietly, swallowing down her tears again as she leaned into Impa's shoulder.

"Of course, dear," Impa replied as she patted Zelda's shoulder, her voice soft again.

Zelda gave Impa one last squeeze before letting go and standing up straight. She cleared her throat wiped her eyes with the hems of her sleeves, pulled over her palms.

"You'd better get a move on if you and Link want to get to Hateno before dark," Impa said, her voice still soft. Zelda nodded in agreement.

"I'll come by next week," Zelda said, taking a step back, towards the door.

Impa nodded. "Whenever you have time, Zelda. Safe travels, my dear."

"Goodnight, Impa." Zelda turned and walked towards the door, but she wanted nothing more than to stay. Not that she didn't like staying with Link at the house in Hateno, but she missed being somewhere familiar so dearly that is almost ached to leave. Maybe next week she'd ask to spend the night. Impa would almost certainly say yes.

Walking down the stairs, Zelda made sure to bid goodbye to Cado and Dorian as well before heading over to the entrance to Kakariko. There, Link was waiting with their horses; one he had caught after leaving the Shrine and grown attached to, the other a descendant of Zelda's royal horse that Link had caught for her.

Link held out his hand to help Zelda up, and she took it, holding on tight. Once she had mounted her horse, Link began to sign to her.

'Everything okay?' His face was as stoic as ever, but his eyes were worried, a tell few more than Zelda could catch onto.

"Everything's okay." Zelda replied, and she felt it. Everything would be okay, eventually. "We'd better get going, before it gets too late. I'd rather not have to stop for a stalkoblin again." Zelda laughed at that, giving Link a pointed look. Link's cheeks turned deep red and he almost started to sign something back to defend himself, but he gave up, instead turning to mount his own horse.

'Then let's go,' Link signed to Zelda before spurring his horse, speeding ahead down the hill towards the dirt road.

"Hey!" Zelda exclaimed, spurring her own horse to chase after them. She could feel the wind whip through her hair, and began to feel raindrops hit her shoulders once again.

**Author's Note:**

> hewwo theydies and gentlethems !! thank u for reading my short thing, it's the first thing i've written after like. actually four years. and i'm really excited to get back into the swing of writing again !! much love <3


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